Coatesville chief search took up half of 2012

Photo by Tom Kelly IV
Retired Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson (right) was sworn in Monday night December 10, 2012 as the new Coatesville City Police Chief, by District Judge Gregory Hines (left), as Johnson's son Stephen (center), a Seargent in the 35th district of the Philadelphia Police Department holds the bible.

COATESVILLE — Day-to-day contracts, temporary solutions and last-minute rejections were all part of the long and twisting saga of the city’s search for a brand-new police chief.

At the end of May, the city announced that Chief Julius Canale would be taking the part in the early-retirement package that was offered to all Coatesville police officers. However, because essentially of the department’s leadership and longest-tenured officers were taking the early retirements, City Council had concerns over a lack of leadership within the department. Canale and Lt. Rita Shesko, who also took the buyout package, were placed on day-to-day contracts as a temporary fix and to keep some leadership in the department while a search for a new chief got under way.

However, in early July, Canale announced that he was ending his day-to-day contract and officially retiring. Following the retirement, Sgt. James Audette was named officer in charge, but was not given the title of interim chief.

A search for a new chief began in August after it was delayed due to council’s need to first hire a new city manager. Former Assistant Manager Kirby Hudson was named manager after former Manager Gary Rawlings was terminated in June.

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Hudson formed a search committee of law enforcement officials and community leaders. While the committee was conducting its search, council hired former Valley Chief James Bell as interim chief. The committee scanned resumes and eventually interviewed four candidates before Hudson chose state police Maj. John Laufer as the final candidate.

Laufer attended a City Council meeting and his position came up for a vote, but Councilwoman Carrie “Villa” Hunt voted against the hiring because of concerns over the city finances. Her lone dissenting vote was enough to reject Laufer because four votes were needed to make the hire and only four council members were present for the vote.

While Hudson hoped that council would reconsider Laufer, the major that currently oversees the state police academy withdrew his name from consideration after he was publicly rejected.

Council took measures to shore up its finances and eventually Hudson came back to the chief search. This time the law enforcement members of the committee went out and recruited Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Stephen Johnson. Johnson was interview on Halloween, hired in November and sworn in on Dec. 10.

Complicating the hiring of a new chief was an April a grand-jury investigation by the state attorney general’s office into the department’s handling of an internal investigation. The department was looking into an affair between Sgt. Chris McEvoy and officer Amy Nicholl. The department obtained a search warrant for Nicholl’s cell phone. The investigation is believed to be looking at the legitimacy of the warrant.